Heaven is a Place on Earth
by CallMeLy
Summary: A collection of one-shots and ficlets about Urushihara's new life on Earth and his relationships with the other characters, based on my many headcanons. Ranges from humour to angst to drama to family.
1. The Birth of a Gamer

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Headcanon: Lucifer got his PASTA console from a bag Olba had stolen

* * *

The Birth of a Gamer

Lucifer stood around a dark corner untouched by the ray of any streetlight, impatiently waiting for Olba to finish his current job. He was still low on magic at this point, reduced to nothing more than a small, weak, completely average human teenager. Nevertheless, there was one benefit to finding himself without his wings or magic; it was far easier for him to blend in, unnoticed by the people of Tokyo. With his old general's uniform replaced by a t-shirt and jeans, he would wander through the streets during the day and no-one paid him any heed. He could learn more about this world and how it worked with so little effort.

It didn't take long for him to discover Earth's more advanced technology.

Libraries and internet cafes and been a big help to him, even if Olba believed it was all a waste of time. Soon, Lucifer had developed the required skills to research, hack and monitor his targets. But he was yet to learn of the various other uses this technology had to offer.

He was stirred from his thoughts by the sounds of a struggle, a thud against the pavement and a young voice calling out in pain. Olba rounded the corner in a hurry, not bothering to stop and wait for him, or even look to make sure he followed. Neither did Lucifer look up at his (regrettable) partner as he pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against and trailed after him, keeping a fair distance behind him so as not to arouse suspicion should anyone be watching. Not too far behind him, he could sense the fear and anger emanating from Olba's victim and he could feel the negative energy flowing into him. He moved slowly, taking the time to draw out every last drop of magic he could before the distance was too great. Once he had gained all he could, he quickened his pace, not wanting to attract the unwanted attention that would come with flying.

He arrived back at the formerly-sealed off classroom soon after Olba, who by now was emptying out the contents of the bag he had just stolen. There was always the chance of finding a few hundred yen or something else that could be of use to them. As Olba pocketed what money he had found, Lucifer took the opportunity to rummage through the bag himself, curious at what else a human might carry around. One item in particular managed to pique his interest; an odd, shiny grey box-like contraption with previously unfamiliar lettering, which he now knew spelled 'PASTA'.

A strange word to be written on what looked like some sort of electronic device.

That night, as Olba slept, Lucifer examined the device, finding a small cartridge inside which he removed, turning it over and over in an attempt to find an explanation other than the colours and words on one side before replacing it. He successfully turned the machine on and blinked in surprise, staring at the screen.

 _So… it's like a computer…?_

Lucifer had not yet gotten used to the fact that his new human body practically demanded sleep. It was hard to begin and even harder to finish. He certainly needed something to pass the time and maybe even wear him out enough to fall asleep. Not that he was all that interested in a human invention, that is. He only meant to use it as a _distraction_ , a simple hobby.

He never meant for it to consume him virtually every second of free time he had.

And he didn't especially care that the noise and light was keeping Olba awake night after night. When the time came that they had restored enough of Lucifer's magic to take down both the Devil and the Hero, and they had finally devised a plan, he would not _put down the game_.

"I'm almost done, just gimme a sec…" he insisted, absentmindedly waving a hand at Olba.

"You are becoming far too comfortable in this world, Lucifer."

"Says you, old man." He didn't even look up, just rolled his eyes.

"Listen to you! Even the way you talk, your language…!"

"It's called _fitting in_ , Olba," Lucifer glanced at him for only a couple of seconds, "If I want to avoid getting into any trouble here before we achieve our goal, I need to understand the world around me."

"What use is there in talking and acting this way when I'm the only one here?"

"Would ya shut up for a second? I'm about to beat th-"

"Are you really going to waste your time on this?" Olba snapped, still not eliciting any response from him, "Aren't you serious about returning to Heaven?!"

Lucifer flinched.

Olba watched with smug satisfaction as he shut off the game and stood, letting the console drop to the floor.

Lucifer followed Olba out of the room without a word, and without any expression on his face. The Devil and the Hero would be meeting to talk in private tonight. They would be together, in the same place at the same time, and with any luck, there would be no witnesses. But that didn't mean it would definitely go according to plan, and, of course, it didn't. The targets managed to escape, while Lucifer did no more harm to them than startling them a little and giving a bike a flat tire. He blocked out Olba's reprimanding the entire walk back to the school and the moment he entered the abandoned room he picked up the PASTA again and turned it on.

 _At least I got to finish the level before I left._


	2. In Case of Emergency

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Headcanon: Urushihara sometimes gathers magic from minor disturbances while he's home alone (behind Maou and Ashiya's back)

* * *

In Case of Emergency

He hadn't had so much time to himself in ages.

Lucifer, now renamed Hanzo Urushihara, was alone in the new Devil's Castle. Normally, this wouldn't last too long. Although Maou did take on more than a few shifts at work, Ashiya was never gone for anything over an hour or so. Shopping, usually, or on the occasional mission given to him by his king. But this time, on top of his regular chores, Ashiya was apparently meeting up with someone. Urushihara only knew that this someone was a co-worker of Emi's, he didn't really care enough to question him any further.

The first couple of hours was spent like any other time he was alone; try to research magic, get distracted by something else, end up scrolling through page after page of the most random websites, devour whatever junk food was in the kitchen and order a new game in time for same-day delivery. But there didn't seem to be much else to do.

Even he could get bored of just sitting at a computer for an extended period of time, especially when he wasn't used to this free time or privacy. Not wanting his legs to fail him and fall asleep again, he stood to stretch. Wasn't there something better to do…?

He didn't get to finish that thought before the ground started shaking. It wasn't a particularly bad earthquake, but it was enough to make Urushihara stumble slightly. He regained his balance only to hear a child's cry outside. Curious, he opened the window and leaned out. Across the street he could see a slightly panicked mother fussing over her crying baby as she hurried to steady its stroller which, he guessed, had somehow fall over in the earthquake.

Urushihara didn't really see any point of interest in this and began to turn away. That is, until he sensed something. Both humans were releasing negative energy. Not much, but it was there. And it was finding its way right to him.

How long had it been?

Now, Urushihara didn't have much need for magic in his current state. He was comfortable enough where he was, and in all honesty it was really only Maou who had a good reason to be feeding off of human negativity like that.

But then again, it could come in handy someday to have a little extra magic stashed away.

Ready.

Just in case of emergency.

 _They don't need to know, right?_


	3. Well? Did It?

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Headcanon: Urushihara is reminded of his Fall from Heaven while surfing the internet

* * *

Well? Did It?

On Maou's return home from his shift that afternoon, he found Urushihara hunched over his closed laptop, his shoulders trembling ever so slightly and dried tears staining his cheeks. He made no move to open the laptop and he didn't reach for his PASTA either. Turning to Ashiya, who was quietly preparing a meal, for an answer, Maou was met with only a questioning, and even a little worried, expression.

Urushihara never did explain what had happened. He stayed where he was until Ashiya hesitantly placed a bowl in front of him. He ate in silence. He got up, placed his bowl in the sink, returned to his corner and crawled into his box, all without speaking a word.

Once Maou and Ashiya were asleep, he was alone with his thoughts.

They wouldn't understand it. They would probably tell him it was nothing worth getting upset about. They didn't know how something that seemed so insignificant could have such an impact on someone like him.

It was simple enough. Maou was at work, Ashiya had just left to go shopping for dinner and Urushihara was on his computer. And, once again, he had grown bored of doing research. There was a lot to do on the internet that was far more entertaining.

Or, at least, it was _meant_ to be entertaining. At first, it was. He clicked through link after link until he couldn't even remember where he had started. Soon, he found himself scrolling through some outdated website. The kind with nothing but old jokes and memes that would make anyone cringe nowadays. He soon came to a page of cheesy pick-up lines. He smirked as he clicked the link. Humans had such strange ways of attracting one another. Of course, he knew nobody seriously used these anymore, but it did make him chuckle to think about. Until one in particular caught his attention.

" _Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?"_

He stopped and frowned.

Of course humans would use that as a joke. They had no way of knowing how a fallen angel would feel. He gritted his teeth, feeling himself start to shake.

He was mostly over it. His Fall. And he no longer wanted to go back.

Even so, Urushihara could feel tears prickling his eyes.

Just because he was happy to cut his ties to his birthplace now didn't mean he had forgotten what it was like. He had been bored of Heaven, but that didn't mean he hadn't been sad to leave his old home.

He still felt like he had lost something.

And apparently, the humans on Earth thought of all that as nothing but a dumb joke.

He closed the laptop.

When Ashiya arrived back at the apartment, he could sense the uncomfortable shift in the atmosphere. Urushihara was still sat at his small table, only he wasn't researching or gaming or anything else he had come to pass the time with in this world. He was just sitting there, his arms folded on the surface in front of him, his breathing a little ragged and his body a little shaky.

"Urushihara…?"

No response. But then, that was to be expected.

"Is there something wrong?"

He came closer to get a better look when he still got no reply. Urushihara only lowered his head onto his arms to hide his face, but Ashiya had noticed the dampness on his cheeks already.

Deciding it was best to let him calm down on his own before pressing any further, Ashiya moved to the kitchen and began preparing the food. Meanwhile, Urushihara could only think one thing.

It did hurt.

And it _still_ hurt.


	4. Just a Stretch

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, I'm glad you're all enjoying these~

Headcanon: Urushihara brings out his wings to stretch while on his laptop

* * *

Just a Stretch

Over time, Urushihara had managed to accumulate a fair amount of magic from the little incidents that occurred in the neighbourhood. Maybe even enough, he hoped, to bring his wings out.

Once again, Maou was at work and Ashiya was about to leave for the store. As soon as the door was closed and he heard the footsteps on the stair fade, Urushihara closed his eyes and focused his magic. He smiled softly as his wings opened behind him and sighed.

For the most part, having a human body hadn't been such a big change for him. Angels were similar enough in shape and size to humans, after all. But missing his wings made things a little awkward at times. Not that anyone would notice since he didn't exactly move around much, but he'd often felt their presence between his shoulder blades while he was sitting at his computer – phantom wings. It felt so strange to just exist without them.

Now that he was stretching them out, albeit in a cramped space, he was so much more comfortable. So much more _natural_. He couldn't help but flap them lightly; this was one of those rare moments of happiness for Urushihara.

It didn't last long though.

He raised his wings once more then suddenly paused at the unmistakable sound of footsteps running up the stairs. The door slammed open and Ashiya stormed in, making Urushihara jump. His wings snapped shut, quivering in fear, but didn't disappear.

"What were you _doing_?!"

"I-"

" _Think_ , you idiot! What if someone had passed by? The curtains are wide open, anyone could have seen you!"

"I was just…"

 _Slap_.

His wings vanished as he winced and held a hand to his face. He wasn't ready for that.

"… You didn't have to hit me…" he muttered, looking down.

"Where did you get the magic for that, anyway?"

"Nothing big… And nothing I did…"

Ashiya groaned and turned away. He had more important things to deal with than Urushihara.


	5. Always 15 Minutes Late

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Sorry this one's a bit late, I didn't get a chance to write yesterday.

By the way, if any of you have any headcanons you want me to try writing a one-shot for, go ahead and let me know~ I can't guarantee I'll definitely be able to come up with a story for it, but I'll try. I already have one request that I'll be getting to soon

And for anyone who's wondering - the title of this (very short) ficlet is a reference to this old Tumblr meme *shows up 15 minutes late with Starbucks*, crossed with Ashiya's tendency to show up late to battles because he wanted his cape

Headcanon: Urushihara is jealous of Ashiya's general's cape

* * *

Always 15 Minutes Late with Moonbucks and a Cape

 _What makes him so great anyway?_

Once again, Urushihara found himself alone in the apartment. Still a little bitter and slightly wary after his confrontation with Ashiya only days before, he wasn't prepared to get on his bad side again anytime soon. But that didn't stop his resentment towards his fellow general.

 _It's pathetic,_ he mused, _Always sucking up to Maou like that. He acts all high and mighty but a second later, he's on the floor grovelling and begging for forgiveness…_

Was that why Satan had always favoured him?

Lucifer, Malacoda and Adramelech, three of King Satan's Four Great Demon Generals, never seemed to measure up to General Alciel. They worked just as hard, fought just as well, were just as skilled, but Alciel still won the highest praise of the king and the position as his right-hand man. And Lucifer in particular, being a former archangel, had always been made to feel second-best by the demons.

 _He_ certainly didn't get a cape.

Well. Of course, a cape would have only gotten in the way of his wings and hindered his flight patterns. _But that was beside the point._ The _point_ was Ashiya always had to show off his cape at every chance. His cape was always a good enough reason to show up late to battles. _What was so great about a cape anyway?_

Sure enough, within five minutes, Urushihara was throwing open the door of the closet in search of that _damn cape_. And as soon as he had it in his hands, he draped it over his shoulders and returned to his computer with a smug smirk on his face.

He no longer had his wings. He wouldn't be flying anywhere anytime soon. So why not?

… He'd just have to remember to put it back before Ashiya got home…


	6. What You Didn't Know

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

This is pretty damn late, I know, I'm sorry. I was at a mini convention thing yesterday and I'd been focusing on getting my cosplay together. Anyway, back on track now~

Headcanon: Urushihara feels very unappreciated and all his acting up is a cry for attention

* * *

What You Didn't Know

"I have had _enough_ of this!"

"Yeah?" Urushihara mumbled, not prepared to give Ashiya the satisfaction of turning to look at him, "You said that, like, two days ago already. And a week ago. And pretty much every single time I've done… anything."

His face remained expressionless, but inside he was smirking.

"Exactly! You have made absolutely no effort to change your ways, no contribution to this household whatsoever! What exactly are you hoping to achieve here? Because you certainly can't go very far if this is how you plan on living."

The smirk was slowly fading into a frown, but he still didn't let it show.

"Whatever, _Mom_ …"

"Why you-"

Luckily, at that moment, the door opened and Maou entered the room. Unluckily, he seemed just as mad as Ashiya, who didn't even get a chance to welcome to his master home before Maou marched over to Urushihara and jabbed an accusing finger in his face.

"Did you seriously call Emi at work again today?"

Urushihara glanced aside, the frown behind his calm façade faltering into something more vulnerable, "I was bored..." he muttered.

"I don't care if you were bored, when you start messing with her, _I'm_ the one who's gotta deal with it!"

It was always like this, day in and day out. He couldn't do anything right and everything he did was wrong. Everything he had achieved in the time he'd lived in the apartment was always soon pushed aside when he managed to screw up again.

But hey, at least the fact that they were reprimanding him showed that they were acknowledging his existence. That was something, right? He groaned inwardly.

Eventually, he had to get it out.

"You have _got_ to start pulling your own weight around here, Urushihara," Maou said as he dressed for work the following morning, "You could at least help Ashiya out more. And what's the point in having Suzuno teaching you how to cook and clean if you never actually do it?"

"... What _is_ the point?"

Maou paused, looking up. Urushihara sighed and turned around, leaning on his desk with his head in his hand.

"I'm no good at anything. Right, Maou?" his tone was getting more and more agitated as he went on, "I'm pretty much useless. The only thing I'm good at is computers. That's the whole reason you even let me stay here in the first place. Without my magic and my wings, there's nothing else I can do!"

Now Urushihara may have often talked back and whined and complained when Maou and Ashiya pushed him around, but neither of them had expected something like _that_. Something so self-deprecating. And maybe, if he hadn't been so shocked, Maou would have responded differently. But he _was_ shocked, and he responded with anger.

"You should be _grateful_ that I let you come crawling back after what you did!"

" _You_ should be grateful that I got you your magic back when you were fighting Sariel!"

He was standing now, glaring up at Maou, but Maou just scoffed and finished getting ready.

"I don't have time for your little temper tantrum right now, I gotta get going."

And in only a couple of hours, Ashiya was gone as well and Urushihara was home alone again, left to his thoughts.

 _Might as well do something halfway productive._

It took some time, but he managed to remember what Suzuno had taught him about making udon. He returned to his laptop with the bowl and sat down again, but as he ate, his mind began to wander.

Ashiya was right. He really couldn't keep going on like this. But he really couldn't do anything more useful than research and 'hack'.

He could work up to something, couldn't he? He didn't know _what_ exactly, but something. If they'd just let him go at his own pace.


	7. Over 300 Species!

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Sorry for being a day late again, I was feeling kind of sick last night and I went to bed early. I'm going back to uni on Monday so I'm gonna try and get a few chapters written ahead of time and have them ready for Mondays and Thursdays

Headcanon: Urushihara really likes reptiles, lizards etc, he seemed really interested when he was looking at the water park's website in episode 10

* * *

Over 300 Species?!

"Are you sure you don't need some meds or something?" Urushihara glanced up from his laptop, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

"It's n-nothing...!" Ashiya groaned.

 _Doesn't look like nothing..._ Urushihara thought as Ashiya writhed in pain on the floor.

"Oh, really? Then why didn't you go with Maou like you said you would?"

Ashiya only grunted.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

He rolled his eyes and turned back to the screen, bringing up the park's site again. Before he could click anything, however, Ashiya let out another groan. With a look of disgust, Urushihara took out a pair of headphones and blocked out the unwelcome noise with some music before finding the page on the reptile exhibit.

He was completely enthralled by the variety. Over 300 different species in one small place. Of course, these were Earth's species. He had come across lizards ten times the size of any human in Ente Isla which were in general far more impressive, but nevertheless he ended up scrolling through countless descriptions and pictures until he felt a shaky hand on his shoulder and jumped.

"Urushihara, are you doing research...?" Ashiya mumbled once he had removed his headphones.

"I'll get to that in a minute."

"Urushihara," he still sounded weak, but Ashiya's voice was stern, "You should be-"

" _Alright!_ Jeez, can't I just have five minutes to myself?"

"You've been doing the same thing for the past hour..."

"I- Seriously...?"

His eyes drifted to the clock in the corner of the screen.

 _Whoa, I have..._

" _Urushihara!_ "

He jumped again.

" _Fine!_ "


	8. Birds of a Feather

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

My first day back at uni was pretty good, and I only need to go in for a screening tomorrow afternoon~ I'll be home by 1 o'clock on Thursdays so I might not need to write those chapters ahead of time, but I'll try to write Monday chapters at the weekends

Headcanon: Urushihara misses flying and likes to watch birds and reminisce about it

(Little side note here, I just got my copy of volume 2 of the Devil light novel last week and in Urushihara's character profile under "skills/hobbies" it says "I want to fly around" so half this headcanon is confirmed and I want to cry, just let the dumb trashbird fly, Maou...!

* * *

Birds of a Feather

Another dull day left home alone by Maou and Ashiya. After an hour or so on his computer, he stood to stretch and opened the window, leaning out and looking around to see if there was anyone he could squeeze some magic out of. But no, the street was empty, and all seemed calm. He was about to return to his net surfing when something above him caught his eye.

Two birds - he wasn't sure what kind - were darting about here and there. He paused, then slumped over the windowsill, looking up as the faintest smile appeared on his face.

He wished he could join them.

It wasn't like he hadn't been able to fly at all since he came through the Gate. He'd used his wings plenty in his battle against Maou and Emi only months ago, and again when Olba came back. But he couldn't go free-flying like he used to. He missed the weightlessness, the breeze on his feathers and the equally humbling and empowering feeling of looking down and seeing the world below him, so small, so insignificant. He missed that.

A black shape in the corner of his vision and a light tapping sound beside him made him turn to the right.

A crow was perched on the windowsill, looking back at him, almost curiously. He blinked, unsure of what to do. Maou and Ashiya would kill him if it got in the apartment. But it didn't move.

"... You're so lucky..." he breathed. The crow tilted its head, like it was craning its neck to look behind him. Urushihara turned and saw his almost empty bowl still sitting on the desk. He reached out and pulled one of the last udon noodles out then lay it on the windowsill for the bird to snap up.

"I wish I could join you guys out there," he said softly, offering the crow another noodle from the bowl, which it gratefully plucked from his fingers, "But I guess that'd be too risky, huh? Jail doesn't sound too good. I mean, I'm already locked up inside, I don't wanna lose my wi-fi too."

He chuckled, gently stroking a finger across the crow's feathers. After a moment, he moved his hand away and the crow took off again. With a sigh, Urushihara straightened up and closed the window. Ashiya arrived home only a few minutes later, and Maou soon after, but Urushihara barely paid them any attention, he was still thinking about the birds.

The next day, he was on his own again. He was sitting at his laptop, his hand absentmindedly dipping into a bag of chips next to him every now and then, when he heard a tapping sound and looked up. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a crow tap the window with its beak once more.

 _Is it the same one...?_

He got up and went to open the window. The little crow tilted its head just like it had the last time and Urushihara looked back at the almost empty bag on his desk. He took one small chip and held it out in his upturned palm, letting the crow peck at it.

"So, you came back to see me?" he asked with a smile, "Or did you just come for the food?"

The crow had finished eating and now looked up at him again, then edged along the windowsill, a little closer to him, and leaned its head forward. Urushihara blinked in surprise and hesitated for a second, but soon he was running his finger along its feathers once more. And when it left, he watched it fly away, remembering when he could do that.

Another day later, Urushihara heard the tapping again, only it sounded a little different this time, more... metallic. He opened the window to find the crow, back again, with something in its beak. Curious, Urushihara held out his hand and an old coin was dropped into it. He took a moment to turn it over and look at it. He couldn't remember the last time someone had given him a gift.

He smiled down at the bird before placing the coin behind the laptop. He'd hide it somewhere later.

"Guess I better find some food for ya."


	9. Sweet Dreams

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

It's technically Friday here now (it's 1am) but I'm gonna guess it's Thursday still somewhere, probably in the US? I'm totally not late :| Anyway, thank you to wolfgirl12390 for this headcanon. I really liked this one and it turned out longer than I expected.

Headcanon: Urushihara is prone to nightmares

* * *

Sweet Dreams

"…!"

Urushihara jerked awake. He took a moment to calm himself and catch his breath, then hesitantly turned to look over at Maou and Ashiya. He sighed in relief when he saw that both of them were still fast asleep. Still panting, he brushed his hair aside and pressed his hand to his forehead, closing his eyes.

He'd been having these nightmares since he came to Earth, since _sleeping_ had needed to become a regular thing. When he finally drifted off each night, more fearsome and unsettling versions of his memories would haunt him. From Heaven, from Ente Isla, even from the short time he had spent on Earth so far. He would often wake up hyperventilating, sweating, shaking. Every time, he would glance over at his roommates, unsure of whether he wanted them to sleep through it or wake up themselves.

On one hand, maybe they could be a source of comfort to him. But then, Urushihara didn't exactly expect that kind of reaction from Maou or Ashiya, and even if it did happen, his social awkwardness would most likely keep him from telling them anything. Or maybe they'd say he was fretting over nothing and demand that he go back to sleep and stop disturbing them.

That sounded like something they would do, at least.

By now, he was calm again. He lay back down in his box tunnel and curled up, trying to clear his mind so he could go back to sleep, hopefully without the nightmares this time.

Thankfully, he did manage to sleep through the rest of the night, just barely waking up before Maou left for his morning shift. He went about his usual routine of net surfing, research, eating junk food, annoying Ashiya and looking for possible sources of negative energy. He never let on about his nightly terrors.

But inevitably, night fell again. He avoided sleeping for as long as possible, distracting himself first with his laptop, then, when his eyes grew tired and strained, his PASTA. Eventually, he did fall asleep.

And only an hour later, he awoke with a scream, waking both Maou and Ashiya in the process. His hand instantly went to his chest as images of Emilia lunging at him with her sword flashed in his mind. Realising what he had just done, he quickly clapped his other hand over his mouth, but Maou had already figured out what was happening.

"Urushihara?" he asked, sitting up. Ashiya turned over to face them, rubbing his eye, while Urushihara ducked his head, unable to stop himself shaking, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"What? N-nothing..." Urushihara's voice was noticeably trembling, "Nothing h-happened..."

"Doesn't look like nothing..." Ashiya tiredly noted.

Maou took in the sight before him; Urushihara was sat in his box, his head down, his knees to his chest, his shoulders hunched and his arms wrapped around himself protectively, one hand still on his chest. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and his breath was ragged.

"... Bad dream?"

Urushihara flinched, immediately telling Maou that he was right, then lifted his head in surprise when he heard fabric rustling and footsteps coming towards him. Maou was suddenly crouched in front of him.

"You alright, man?" he asked softly. Urushihara looked down again, "Something bothering you?"

"No, it's just..."

"Just _what_?"

"Just... nightmares... It's no big deal, I get them all the time." he tried to brush it off.

"Wait, really? How long has this been going on?"

Urushihara still couldn't meet Maou's eyes, but it did make him feel a little better that he seemed to be showing some concern for him. "I-It... It's been happening most nights since I first came through the Gate." His breathing was much more relaxed now, but he could still feel himself shaking.

He heard a shuffling sound and looked up to see that Ashiya had joined them.

"What are they about? These nightmares?"

Now this was strange. Ashiya was worried about him too? He blinked in surprise.

"Well, a lot of stuff... There's some things that keep coming back..."

"What was it this time?"

"When... When Emilia..." he trailed off, his hand subconsciously moving to his heart.

"... _Killed_ you?" Maou finished. Urushihara nodded and now Maou was the struggling to hold eye contact, "I'm sorry we didn't do anything for you then. We just... I just left you. Heh," he gave a cold chuckle, "Guess I kinda deserved you turning on me like that."

This helped. Talking about it. It was only one of the dreams, but at least it was something. After a few more minutes, Ashiya returned to his futon, but Maou went for the closet. Curious, Urushihara sat and watched until Maou found what he was looking for. He pulled out an old blanket and brought it over to him. Before he went back to bed, he placed a comforting hand on Urushihara's shoulder.

"Night, dude."

With that, he turned away, leaving Urushihara to unfold the blanket and wrap it around himself. He fell asleep with a peaceful smile on his face.


	10. The Voice of an Angel

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Hey, guys, sorry for the delay and being off-schedule here, I've been sick this week so I haven't been able to focus on the screen long enough to come up with anything. Should be back on track next week~! Here's a quick little ficlet to make up for it, with two headcanons in one!

Headcanon: 1. Since he was born an angel, Urushihara has a natural talent for singing and 2. Urushihara knows the Cup Song

* * *

The Voice of an Angel

Urushihara's fingers tapped out a rhythm on the desk as he scrolled through yet another webpage on human myths and legends. He absentmindedly hummed along as Ashiya went to put on his shoes.

"I'll be back in an hour or two," he said, turning to look at the shut-in, "And remember Ms Kamazuki is home so don't even think about pulling anything while I'm gone or I guarantee she'll be here and I _will_ hear about it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill, just get going."

Ashiya left with a scoff and a roll of his eyes. Urushihara continued scrolling, tapping and humming. Soon, the humming turned to singing.

" _I got my ticket for the long way round, two bottle o' whisky for the way..._ "

Singing was something all angels were naturally gifted at, but that was exactly why he was so self-conscious about singing in front of Maou or Ashiya; it was an _angel_ thing, not a demon thing. And he had never really liked the songs the angels of Heaven had sang. But spending so much time on the internet had opened up a variety of styles and genres that he never would have heard otherwise. It filled the empty silences and made him feel a little but less lonely when the others were out. It was relaxing.

" _And I sure would like some sweet company, and I'm leaving tomorrow, what do ya say?_ "

He paused, getting up and walking over to the kitchen. There was still a used cup left by the sink, which he picked up and took back to his desk.

He sat down again and placed the cup on the desk in front of him. He'd found this particular song not too long ago and taken the time to learn how to tap out the rhythm like he had seen in videos.

" _When I'm gone, when I'm gone... You're gonna miss me when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me by my hair, you're gonna miss me everywhere, oh, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone._ "

He smiled to himself as he sang, getting more and more into it. He didn't notice how loudly his voice was ringing, or the knock on the door, or even the door creaking open, until he heard a voice behind him.

"Good Hanzo?"

"Suzuno?!"

 _Right, Ashiya said she was home..._ He'd forgotten about that. There was silence for a moment.

"... I did not know you could sing."

He immediately turned away, hiding his blush.

"Yeah, well, I am technically an angel, Bell, kinda comes with the territory."


	11. Cold Nights

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

A very short little drabble today~ Sorry I couldn't get more than this done, I'm still not feeling completely better and being back in uni all day has worn me out a little bit... Anyway, this headcanon came from Wattpad user lauren_julia234

Headcanon: Urushihara subconsciously wraps his wings around himself as he sleeps when it starts to get cold out

* * *

Cold Nights

Urushihara shivered in his sleep.

Winter was drawing nearer and the cool air had already made its way into the cramped and drafty apartment. Of course, Maou and Ashiya were always so warm and comfortable in their futons at nights, but as for Urushihara, he wasn't so fortunate. He had to get by with his simple little box, and in the same t-shirt and shorts he wore day in and day out. But it looked like he'd just have to live with it. He got the bare minimum from them, nothing more. Clearly, they didn't think he was worth it.

Before, he could warm himself in his wings as he slept. In his dream he relived that feeling, snuggling into his feathers and breathing a content sigh.

With that image and that feeling in his mind, the dormant magic in him that he had been saving awoke and his wings slowly appeared, carefully closing around his small frame.

The soft feathers brushed against his cheek and he smiled, bringing his wings in closer.


	12. Guilty Pleasure

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Hello, again, lovelies~ Time for another little ficlet. So I feel like I should say, I know the actual series has parody names for brands etc, but I think I need to keep these ones as they really are. Partly because it's pretty specific what I'm talking about, and partly because I can't be bothered to come up with alternate names for them

Headcanon: Urushihara's guilty pleasure is Disney movies, especially The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Treasure Planet and Lilo and Stitch, because he relates to them most. Stitch is his favourite Disney character

* * *

Guilty Pleasure

 _Ugh... I'm so bored..._ Urushihara thought. It was already after midnight and Maou and Ashiya were in bed, but he just couldn't get to sleep. Probably because he was still sitting in front of laptop screen, looking for something interesting. (Definitely not because he wanted to avoid nightmares.)

 _Maybe a movie would help...?_

He quickly glanced over at Maou and Ashiya to make sure they were really asleep, then pulled out his headphones and plugged them in, bringing up his go-to site. The only question now was what to watch. He'd gone through a long to-watch list already and he needed something new. What was popular...? He scrolled through the selections for a few moments.

 _Huh... Might as well see what's so great about this Disney stuff._

He clicked on ' _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ '. He had read that it was at least a little darker than the others, much more to his tastes. Soon, he was completely enthralled in the story. There was something familiar about Quasimodo to him, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the corruption of a church official, something he had seen first-hand. When the credits began to roll, he looked at the clock. Almost 2:00am. He could manage one more. This time: ' _Treasure Planet_ '.

Watching the opening sequence, seeing Jim "solar surfing", he was reminded again of the feeling of flying. He crossed his arms on the desk in front of him and leaned forward, a smile on his face. His eyes remained locked on the screen, and when a song - I'm Still Here - began, he narrowed his eyes as he listened to the lyrics. Something there resonated with him. He was enjoying this.

He looked back at the clock again as it ended, rubbing his eye. He was starting to get tired now. But... one more couldn't hurt, could it? He went back to searching.

' _Lilo and Stitch._ '

At first, he didn't expect he would take this one as seriously as the first two, seeing as the protagonist was a child and the all-around atmosphere of the film just seemed more laidback, as time went on he found himself being pulled deeper and deeper into the world.

And when that line was said, "Ohana means family, family means no-one gets left behind", Urushihara felt a tear roll down his cheek. He hurriedly wiped it away and sniffed. He was just tired. That was it. He'd definitely go to sleep after this. For sure.

Maou woke up the following morning to find Urushihara collapsed on his desk, fast asleep, with the laptop still open. On the screen was a new wish list. Of Disney games.

And a Stitch plushie...


	13. The Taste of Heaven

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Time for another short little ficlet! This headcanon came from CinderAshTree, thank you~! Sorry it's so short...

Headcanon: Urushihara loves to eat junk food because it doesn't exist in Ente Isla, so it's a new experience for him

* * *

The Taste of Heaven

Ashiya stood silently working away in the kitchen. Maou was stretched out on the floor reading a manga, enjoying his time off work. Neither one of them barely made a sound at all, but there was still one source of grating noise in the apartment.

The rustling and crunching guilty of disturbing their peaceful morning came from Urushihara, sat, as usual, at his computer desk. There was already two empty bags and three empty bottles next to him, another bottle on the floor, and a box of Bocky waiting to be opened. Plus, an old take out bowl, previously containing leftovers from the night before, with a pair of disposable chopsticks still lying in it. And it wasn't even lunchtime yet.

 _Where does all that even go anyway?_ Maou thought, looking over at the growing collection of trash, _I mean, the guy's scrawny as all Hell! And he never does any sort of exercise..._

Of course, Urushihara didn't even see his roommate's sour look. He was busy with "research". Soon, he finished the bag of chips he had been demolishing and opened the Bocky. Maou sighed.

"That can't be good for you, y'know, Urushihara."

Urushihara bit a stick in half and turned to him, "What can't be good for me?" he asked, irritated.

"All that junk food. That stuff's not healthy, especially the amount _you_ eat."

"'S not like you guys give me much of an option."

Maou only rolled his eyes and went back to reading.

Urushihara couldn't help his fascination with junk food. He'd never tasted anything like it back home, and not just because he hadn't really needed to eat. And what's more was the sheer variety. How could there be so many different types of the same thing? When he found something new, he had to try it. He just couldn't resist.


	14. Urushihara and His Inter-Whatever

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Sorry for being a day late again, I hit a writers' block at like midnight last night so I tried sleeping it off. Anyway, another short little ficlet~ Also, please keep telling me your own headcanons! I only have 4 more planned out, enough for 2 more weeks! I could try and figure out some stories for other headcanons I have that I couldn't think of before, but I do like coming up with stories for your headcanons guys so keep 'em coming~!

Headcanon: Urushihara has a Tumblr and internet friends

* * *

Urushihara and His Inter-Whatever

 _Scroll scroll scroll..._

"Heh..."

 _Reblog._

"What are you up to now?"

Urushihara continued scrolling and clicking, not bothering to look at Ashiya.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about."

"You better not be wasting any more money on useless-"

"I'm not, jeez!"

 _Scroll scroll, reblog._

His fingers began tapping on the keyboard.

"Then what _are_ you doing?"

"I'm just... online," he turned his head to see Ashiya giving him a questioning frown, "Ugh, there's no point in explaining it to you, you won't get it."

He went back to the screen, and Ashiya chose to just ignore him. He kept scrolling through his dashboard, occasionally stopping to reblog a post or laugh at a comic or roll his eyes at the stupidity of some of these humans. He paused when a notification popped up - a message.

 _This better not be another one of those- oh, hey..._

Luckily, it was one of his mutuals. When he read the message, one word in particular jumped out at him.

 _"Friend."_

They were friends?

 _Huh..._

They _were_ friends. In fact, he seemed to have a lot of friends online, now that he thought about. People he talked to often, joked with and shared interests with. Friends.

Although he did try to avoid mentioning that to the others. It would only give them another reason to pry into his personal life and another thing to take from him as a punishment, should they need it. They did notice him smiling more and even laughing occasionally, when he just couldn't stop himself, as he sat staring at the computer screen every day. Every now and then they'd look at each other and shrug, neither one having any idea what was going on with Urushihara lately, but neither one really interested enough to ask at this point.

Besides, if he was happy, he was less of a problem.


	15. Proud Mother of a Trashbird

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

I'm really sorry this is so late, I had kind of a long day on Monday and yesterday was busy... Anyway, it's a bit short again tonight, but this headcanon is one of my favourites~ Please keep telling me your headcanons! I got a couple of good ones, and even if I can't figure out a story for yours I might like to talk about them anyway ^^/

Headcanon: Urushihara keeps calling Ashiya 'mom' and eventually Ashiya starts calling him 'son' out of spite. Maou just finds it kinda weird

* * *

Proud Mother of a Trashbird

"Urushihara, would you clean up your mess?" Ashiya snapped, yet again. This was the third time he had asked, but Urushihara kept ignoring him.

" _Urushihara!_ "

This time, he jumped. With a groan, Urushihara paused his game and slowly stood up.

"Alright, _Mom_ , you don't have to yell..."

Ashiya twitched and glared at him, but he was too busy looking for a trash bag to notice.

"I wouldn't be yelling if you had just done it in the first place, you little ingrate..." Ashiya said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

Maou sighed and sipped his tea. He was used to this by now.

"Urushihara, didn't I tell you to move that box of yours out of the way?"

"Whatever, _Mom_ , it'll just end up back where it started anyway."

Some new trivial little argument everyday, but always the same snide tone from Urushihara.

"You have exceeded your one hour daily time limit, now hand it over."

Ashiya held out his hand. Urushihara only whined.

"C'mon, Mom, just... gimme ten more minutes...! I was so close..."

That time it sounded a lot more... natural somehow. Maou shrugged it off and turned the page of his manga.

"Mooomm, I'm hungry."

"Still?" Ashiya turned away from his cooking to look at Urushihara, who was lazily leaning forward with his chin resting on the desk, surrounded by empty bags, boxes and bottles, "How can you still be hungry after eating so much?"

"I just am," his eyes drifted over to the bubbling pot on the stove, "That almost ready yet, Mom?"

"Yes, almost," Ashiya said with a sneer, "Maybe if you helped out around the apartment more you could have some of it, _son_."

Now, Urushihara twitched. Maou raised an eyebrow.

 _That's new._


	16. That Explains It

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Well, this is quite a personal one, like a seeing-yourself-in-your-favourite-character kind of headcanon. It's Asexual Awareness Week, and here's something to celebrate that~

Headcanon: Urushihara is asexual (doesn't experience sexual attraction)

* * *

That Explains It

Alone and bored once again, Urushihara was scrolling through his dashboard, a stick of Bocky poking out from between his lips. His eyes were only scanning the screen, nothing in particular getting his attention.

Not at first, at least, but soon something caught his eye. Just one word in a post.

' _Asexual_ '.

He absent-mindedly toyed with the Bocky stick in his mouth. He'd come across the word a few times before. Every now and then, a post like this would appear, and at the sight of that word, Urushihara would stop for a moment and think.

 _Could I be...?_

It resonated with him.

 _I mean, maybe..._

Things made a lot more sense when he thought about it that way. Things he overheard the others talking about that he just couldn't understand. Things he would just raise a confused eyebrow at that everyone else seemed to obsess over.

 _I think I might be..._

He had read a lot about it already, and it really did seem like it. After a moment of hesitation, he opened another tab and started searching. He needed a little more information first.

Half an hour or so later, he was starting to feel more confident.

 _... I think I'm asexual..._

He leaned forward on the desk in silence for a few seconds, his reflection in the computer screen staring back at him.

 _... I'm asexual..._

He closed his eyes and sighed. That felt right. He opened his eyes again.

"I'm asexual."

That felt better. He smiled.

That felt _better_.

The question now was, should he tell Maou and Ashiya?

Just Maou?

Just Ashiya?

Neither?

Any of the girls...? No, this was none of their business. They didn't need to know his life.

He could tell his roommates at any time, if he ever decided he wanted to. Right now, he could just be happy he knew there was a word for him.


	17. Best Frenemies

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Yet again, I'm a day late. Sorry, I had another long day yesterday, I went to lie down for a bit before I got to writing and I ended up falling asleep... I might as well change my update schedule from Mondays to Tuesdays, ok?

So for this ficlet, I'm not intending it to be shippy, I don't personally ship this pair, but I know there's a lot of people who do so you can read it that way if you want to. Oh, and small note, the 'Osuzu' nickname is from her character profile in the second light novel

Please keep sending me your headcanons~! I've only got a few left. Even if I can't think of a plot for your headcanon, we can still talk about it!

Headcanon: Urushihara eventually sort of becomes friends with Suzuno, or more like frenemies (frenemy relationships need more love, they're great)

* * *

Best Frenemies

"They need to be cut thinner."

Urushihara frowned as he was pushed aside and Suzuno took the knife from his hand.

"Otherwise, they will take too long to boil. Honestly, Good Hanzo, have you not been listening to me?" she sighed, making him roll his eyes. Even so, he tried to pay a little more attention as she chopped up the vegetables.

"Why do I have to do this?" he groaned once she handed the knife back to him, "I mean, I may not like it, but living off takeout food and Ashiya's cooking is good enough, right?" Suzuno didn't respond, "It's not like you guys are gonna let me live on my own anytime soon..." he added with a grimace.

"Because we've been spending more time out of the apartment lately," Maou's voice piped up from behind them. Urushihara's face only turned even more sour, "We've got busy lives now, we can't waste our time worrying about if you're eating!"

"I eat!" he said, turning to look at Maou, "I have plenty of food!"

"You have plenty of _junk_! And I refuse to be held responsible if you make yourself sick."

Urushihara growled under his breath.

"Good Sadao, please don't provoke the poor idiot..."

"Hey!"

"... Or else we'll never get anywhere with him. I'm afraid he may yet turn out to be a lost cause."

Of course, this soon lapsed into another argument.

Urushihara and Suzuno had grown more comfortable around each other lately. Since she still seemed to have at least a small amount of patience for him, unlike Ashiya, she had taken on the responsibility of teaching him some basic life skills. And Urushihara, although he always found a reason to whine and complain, was slowly warming up to the idea.

Slowly.

So.

Very.

Slowly.

It started when Ashiya gave up on trying to take any control over the shut-in. He was becoming more and more irritated having to live with him, but Suzuno seemed able to handle him. After all, she didn't have to put up with his bad attitude day after day like he did. Urushihara hadn't broken her yet. So he had asked for her help. At first, that's all it was. Every few days, Suzuno would spend an hour or two in apartment 201 teaching Urushihara how to cook and clean.

After the first time she had tried to teach him she was prepared for the onslaught of complaints that would inevitably come with the job. Most of the time, that was all he did. That is, until she learned a little more about him. Once she had figured out what foods he liked it was so much easier to get him interested. And once he was interested, they could both actually enjoy themselves.

The "lessons" became a lot more relaxed, to the point where Suzuno didn't need to be asked to come over, she would come simply because she wanted to. A few more days and Urushihara even took to going over to Suzuno's apartment when he expected it was a good time for a lesson. A few more weeks and they were going just to keep each other company. Just to hang out.

Neither of them dared to say it out loud, but they were starting to view one another as friends.

But that didn't exactly mean they got along now...

"Good Hanzo...?" Suzuno gently knocked on the door as she opened it, the way she always did now, immediately frowning when she saw Urushihara sat at his laptop with his headphones in, surrounded by a mountain of trash.

 _Isn't this what we've been trying to stop?_ she thought as she calmly entered the apartment and made her way to the desk.

Before Urushihara could notice her, she slammed the laptop closed causing him to jump up, pulling out his headphones and shooting her a sharp death glare.

"Hey, I was in the middle of something! You couldn't wait, like, ten seconds? Jeez, just say something next time!"

"Have you eaten today, Good Hanzo?" she asked sternly, still completely calm.

Urushihara turned his head away and folded his arms, pouting.

"I've eaten..."

"This," she pointed at the pile on and around the desk, "Does not count. Haven't you had an actual meal?"

"... No..." he still wouldn't look at her.

Suzuno let out a frustrated growl.

"Why didn't you make something?"

She continued to stare him down. Eventually, he gave in and looked at her.

"Gimme a break, Su," Urushihara didn't notice her eyebrow twitch at the nickname, "I'm just a little tired today and I didn't want to do something that took that much effort, alright?"

"It barely takes any effort at all!"

"C'mon, Su...!" he whined, "There's no point now, anyway, I'm not hungry now."

Of course, she would prefer a nickname like 'Osuzu', but no. Clearly, he could only manage one syllable.

"Fine," she said with a sigh and went over to the kitchen, "Would you like some tea?"

"Nah, I'm good."

Suzuno turned to see Urushihara was already sitting down again and opening the laptop.

"Did I... break it...?"

"It'd take more than just closing it suddenly to break it," he snorted.

Suzuno blushed as she realised he had just laughed at her.

"I am not exactly an expert on these things, Good Hanzo..." she turned away to boil some water.

"You don't have to be an expert to know that."

The door opened then, but neither paid it any mind.

"That is... not the point..."

"Are the two of you arguing again?" came Ashiya's tired voice.

Urushihara and Suzuno both jumped when they heard him.

"... Mom's home."

Suzuno couldn't help but chuckle at that.


	18. Trick or Treat

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

 **To FallenSarcasm** : Thanks so much~! I know, I've come across a few fics myself that made me cringe with how they interacted, I'm glad to hear I got something right! I totally agree that he probably has abandonment issues, I'd love to write something for that but I think I'll need some time to work out a plot. On spoilers, I'm only on the second book but I've accidently come across stuff about Alas Ramus, Gabriel and a bit of backstory if it involves any of them. I might still want to wait until I have some more info though...

Today's lovely Halloween-themed headcanon was suggested by CinderAshTree. Thank you, I had fun with this one~

Headcanon: Urushihara collects more negative energy than usual in the time leading up to the demons' first Halloween on Earth and passes off his wings as a costume to go trick-or-treating

* * *

Trick or Treat

"It's only for one night!"

"No."

"Come on!" Urushihara knelt in front of Maou, who was sat at the table reading, trying to ignore him, " _Please_...!"

Now that was unusual. Was Urushihara actually _asking nicely_ for something? Maou turned to look at him, surprised.

"You really wanna go that badly?" Maou raised his eyebrows when Urushihara nodded, "Why?"

"When else am I gonna get _free candy_?!"

Of course. He should have known. Maou considered it for a moment.

"... If you get caught, it's your own fault." He turned back to his manga.

"Are you saying I can go?" Urushihara spluttered. He had expected to have to beg a little more before Maou gave in. Maybe he just wanted rid of him for a night. Over in the kitchen, Ashiya stood staring at his king in shock.

"You can go. But be careful, 'cause if you wind up getting yourself arrested, I'm not bailing you out."

But his words fell on deaf ears as Urushihara had already excitedly returned to his laptop and opened Jungle.

It was early October now and Urushihara had learned of the holiday known as Halloween. It was more of a western concept but it was becoming more and more popular in Japan recently. A time when humans would _want_ to be scared. And he'd noticed a few odd people in the area already making preparations during his regular magic-collecting. In fact, he'd even noticed a small increase in negative energy, and there was still three weeks before the day of Halloween itself.

Maou and Ashiya had picked up on their rising magic levels as well, but they weren't quite so interested in celebrating as he was.

Over the course of the month, Urushihara was completely focused on making sure his one night out alone would go perfectly. The magic he was absorbing practically daily would easily be enough to manifest his wings to their full size, but his plain old t-shirt and jeans wouldn't suffice for a costume. Luckily, he was able to find what he needed online, as always. Black boots, pants and even a long coat similar enough to his old general's uniform, adorned with buckles and chains. Wristbands, also with buckles, to complete the look.

When the night finally came, Urushihara sat watching from the window as the youngest children were guided up and down the street by their parents. He didn't bother to look up whenever Ashiya would answer the door to any of them. He just waited until they were replaced with the older groups, including some other teenagers. His excitement grew to be too much and his wings all but burst from between his shoulder blades as he hurried to leave.

In all their years of knowing him, neither Maou nor Ashiya had ever seen him move so fast.

The night went pretty much as expected for Urushihara. He managed to collect both an immense amount of candy, and a decent amount of magic too. And even earned a few impressed stares at his wings. But at one point, he almost let his social awkwardness get the best of him when one kid walked over and reached out to touch his feathers.

"How did you make these...?"

"Hey...!" Urushihara went to retract his wings before realising his mistake and quickly stepped away instead. The boy and his friends, who were standing a few feet away, gasped in amazement.

"Did they just _move_?!"

"U-uh..." Urushihara stuttered slightly, "Y-yeah, pretty cool, huh?"

He could feel himself shaking but that was soon calmed by the familiar feeling of human negativity. Some of the kids _did_ look a little unnerved by him.

 _Huh..._

He looked back at his wings, twitching them just a little to get the children's attention, then suddenly stretched them open, fixing the group with a menacing smile. They squealed and stumbled back, giving Urushihara a much-needed rush of confidence. He brushed past them with a sly grin, drinking up their fear as he did.

 _I think that's enough for one night._


	19. Sick Of It

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Hey, so, random thing before I get started, have you guys seen the new episode of the Devil is a Part Timer abridged series? You do watch the abridged series, right? You should totally watch the abridged series. And the new episode is probably my favourite. Sweet Satan, it was hilarious. Go watch it

Anyway, another short one, suggested by Hanachana this time~! Thank you ^^/

Headcanon: Urushihara is actually fed up with the colour purple by now

* * *

Sick Of It

Urushihara rolled over in his box and groaned, blinking a few times as he started to wake up properly. He frowned at the purple hair blocking his vision and brushed it aside with another groan. He rubbed his eye with the back of one hand and crawled out of the box. He'd slept in a couple of hours but what did that matter when he had nowhere to be? Maou was already gone and Ashiya was sitting at the table with a book.

"So you finally decided to get up?" he muttered, not looking up. Urushihara just rolled his eyes and shuffled over to his laptop. When he opened it, he glared at his reflection for a split second. More specifically, he glared at his one visible purple eye.

Scrolling through the same old websites, he rested his chin in the palm of his hand and his fingers brushed against his purple earrings.

Purple, purple, _purple_.

He was just… _so sick of it_.

He looked down at the sleeves of his t-shirt.

Purple.

 _Ugh…_

"I can't even work with this…" he mumbled under his breath.

"Work with what?" Ashiya glanced over at him, slightly confused. Urushihara only gritted his teeth.

"Nevermind. You wouldn't get it."

It was even more frustrating that he couldn't really do anything about it. New t-shirt? Clothing for Urushihara wasn't exactly top priority in the household. New earrings? Despite hating the colour, they were still the only thing he still had from his old life and he couldn't help but be just a little bit sentimental.

... Dye...? Contacts...?

Now there was a solution. Unfortunately, it was also a problem. How exactly was he supposed to go about doing that? Either he'd buy the stuff online and get in trouble for it, or he'd sneak out to go to a salon and get in trouble for it. He wasn't going to risk it. Not after the last time he went behind their backs.

No. He would just have to give this one up. Or at least wait.


	20. Take the Risk

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Hey, so, I'm considering cutting back to just one update a week instead of two. First off, I have uni assignments to do over the next two months and second, I'm running out of headcanons and I really want to make this last as long as I possibly can~ Keep sending me headcanon suggestions, there's been so many fun ones to write and I'm struggling to come up with my own at the moment (because uni ¬.¬). I'm not sure which day I'll be uploading, either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Any preferences?

Today's ficlet's a long one, with a headcanon suggested by lauren_julia234 on Wattpad

Also, I made two OCs just on the fly for this chapter

Headcanon: Urushihara sneaks out to meet up with his online friends

* * *

Take the Risk

Urushihara was sat, as always, at his laptop, staring at a message in the screen. He turned his head just enough so that he could see Maou at the table behind him and Ashiya in the kitchen, but thankfully, neither of them were paying any attention to him. He looked back at the message.

He tapped his finger on the mouse a few times and bit his lip. He really wasn't sure what to do in this situation.

 _Yo you live in Tokyo right? I'm gonna be coming over there next weekend, meeting up with Momo, you up for it?_

Leaving the apartment.

To socialise.

With people Maou and Ashiya didn't know about.

There were so many reasons to say no, but he was strangely tempted. They were his friends. And he had the opportunity to see them face-to-face.

 _He did let me go out once before... But that was at night, and in a costume..._

He leaned forward on the desk as he thought.

 _They don't know that I literally can't go out. How am I supposed to come up with a good excuse not to?_

Well, he did have an excuse, but...

 _I can't tell them the real reason..._

Next weekend. Maou definitely had a long shift next Saturday. But what about Ashiya?

 _Even if he's out too, I can't guarantee it'll be for long enough._

He could always find a way to get him out. Urushihara sighed softly.

 _Alright. I'll only need an hour or two..._

He'd already tracked down Maou's work schedule some time ago, so knowing when he would be gone wouldn't be too difficult. For now, he would just go by that. Quickly typing a reply, he glanced back once more, but they still hadn't noticed his little panic.

 _I can't believe I'm gonna do this._

When the day finally came and Maou had already left for MgRonald's, Urushihara sat impatiently at his desk. Ashiya was checking the fridge and cupboards, which were almost completely bare. Of course, Urushihara had made sure of that. He'd be at the store for a while, and he would have to take his time on the way back with everything he'd have to carry. Plus, Urushihara had convinced him to stop at the library on the way there, to save time on going back out again later.

It wasn't much longer before Ashiya left and Urushihara could make his temporary escape. But not before swiping some money from Ashiya's secret funds, and his hat.

He was still a little unfamiliar with his surroundings, having only been out after dark before, and no further than the bath house. Although, street view did give him a pretty good idea of where he was going. He made it to Sasazuka station and waited, awkwardly avoiding anyone and everyone's gaze. He kept his head down until he heard a girl's excited voice.

"Hanzo…!"

He looked up to see a black-haired girl around his assumed age waving as she walked over to him. Close behind her, a boy also of the same age, walked with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.

Momoko and Shizuka.

Urushihara couldn't help but smile back as they approached. He waved at Momoko, albeit a bit shyly. Now standing next her, he realised she was only just taller than him. Clearly, she noticed this as well and gave him a childish pat on the head, along with a drawn out "aww!". His face immediately dropped into an irritated pout and he silently removed her hand from his head. Shizuka sniggered from behind and a second later, the three of them were all laughing.

Still not 100% comfortable being out, Urushihara was mostly quiet on the train. Momoko and Shizuka had been talking to him online for long enough that they knew this wasn't anything out of the ordinary for him, so they decided to just let him be. But he only grew more nervous when they arrived at Hatagaya station.

 _Oh no…_

And then it grew into dread when Shizuka pointed out the MgRonald's and suggested they eat there. Urushihara hesitated for a moment, briefly peeking in through the window. Maou was right there, at the counter, serving customers. There was no way he could go in there.

"Hanzo?"

"Something wrong?"

They had both stopped walking and were looking back at him, half questioning, half worried.

 _Worried?_

He was on the spot now and his mind went blank.

"Uh... Ya see..." he took a step away from the window, "Ok, so I'm not really supposed to be out of the apartment right now and one of my roommates works here, so..." he looked away.

"Ohh..." Momoko nodded, "I get it. So you snuck out?"

Urushihara nodded once, then looked up in surprise at his friend's response.

"No worries, dude! We can find another place."

Huh. Well, this was nice. No getting mad at him for lying, or rather, not telling them the whole truth. No telling him to suck it up and deal with it. He felt a soft smile on his lips as Shizuka led the way around the corner.

But he should have known his whole day couldn't be perfect.

Back at home, he sat down at his desk and opened his laptop. Only a few minutes later, Ashiya arrived home, and Maou soon after. Although Urushihara was facing away, he could feel Maou's eyes on him. Glaring.

"So... How was _your_ day, Urushihara?"

Urushihara knew that tone. Ashiya did to, and turned to look.

"Did you have fun on your little day out?"

At this, Urushihara tensed up, feeling Ashiya watching him now too.

"In public? In broad daylight?" he was standing over him now, Urushihara avoiding eye contact, "What were you _thinking_?"

"I-I just wanted to meet my internet friends, ok? Nobody noticed me, I didn't get arrested or anything, so it's all good, right?" his voice trembled.

"All good, huh?" Maou placed a hand firmly on top of Urushihara's head and forced him to meet his eyes, "Listen. We made an agreement when you first came here. You stay here and research, and I let you stay in my apartment, away from where anyone can find you. If you're going out, then that's it. Are you telling me you want to call the deal off?"

"No! I was careful, alright? I didn't get caught. It won't be a regular thing, I swear."

There was a pause. Ashiya stood back to observe, not getting involved. Urushihara looked up at Maou with pleading eyes as Maou glared back.

"... You got one more chance."


	21. Page Turner

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Sorry, I've had kind of a hectic week... I'll be updating on Wednesdays starting next week. I think I have enough headcanons to take me through into the new year now so there's no rush for more, but if you do have anything in mind, let me know!). This headcanon actually came from two people: CinderAshTree and FallenSarcasm~!

Headcanon: Urushihara actually loves reading

* * *

Page Turner

Urushihara stared at the screen with a blank expression as he scrolled and clicked through the pages. Maou was at work and Ashiya was busy cleaning the apartment, so he had a moment to look around Jungle for something new before he was found out. He went through more than a few different searches before something caught his eye.

 _Oh, this is the book that one movie was based on..._

He used to read a lot back in Ente Isla, although he had rarely gotten the chance to read just for the fun of it. Most of the time, it was history books and researching strategies. But whenever he could, he'd always loved to sit back in some quiet corner somewhere with a novel.

Ever since he had come through the Gate, however, he was distracted by this world's technology. He hadn't picked up a book in a while.

 _Click._

His eyes scanned the page. It wasn't all that expensive, Maou wouldn't miss the money, right? Well, maybe he would, but hopefully he just wouldn't notice. With a swift glance back at Ashiya to make sure he still wasn't looking, he clicked on 'Add to cart'.

One book. That's all.

Something else to do besides surf the web and play games. For when Ashiya would eventually take away his PASTA almost every day.

He was lucky enough to get it delivered the next day when the others weren't home, and managed to hold off on reading until after they were both asleep. Every night, he could happily lie on his back in his box tunnel, holding up the book above him as he read, and he would keep it hidden inside the box during the day. Soon, one book became two, then three, four, until he had a decently-sized collection and it was difficult to keep them out of Maou and Ashiya's sight.

"So, you've found something new to waste all my hard-earned money on, huh? When did you even _get_ all these?"

Urushihara barely even heard him, he was too focused on the book in front of him.

"Sire, I think some form of punishment is due," Ashiya picked up the book and held it up out of reach, ignoring the shut-in's annoyed protests, "His spending habits are becoming far more than they're worth."

"I don't know if punishments are gonna get through to him anymore."

Urushihara relaxed a little then.

It didn't last long.

"But, Urushihara," Maou continued, leaving him slumped over his desk, "We're going to be monitoring all your internet time from now on."

"What?! You can't do that! That's, like, a complete invasion of privacy!"

"Too bad. You brought this on yourself, man."

"But, Your Majesty, surely we can't always be present to watch him...? Plus, I dare say I'd rather not know precisely what it is he gets up to on that thing."

Maou paused for a few seconds, both of the other demons watching him.

"I guess you're right… We'll discuss it tomorrow. It's getting late now."

Urushihara breathed a sigh of relief as Maou and Ashiya started getting ready for bed, sneakily taking his book back when Ashiya put it down and crawling back to his box.

He was glad when he woke up the next day and Maou was already gone, clearly still trying to think of what to do about him. And on top of that, Ashiya wasn't paying him much attention at all. It took a while before Urushihara spoke up.

"Hey, Ashiya..."

"What now?" he didn't look at him.

Urushihara took a deep breath.

"Any chance I could go to the library with you?"

Ashiya shot him a hard glare.

"You're really pushing your luck, you little brat."

"Can I?"

"You really have the audacity to ask to leave the apartment after you _snuck out_?"

"Look, I'm asking to go _with_ you, you'll be able to keep an eye on me. That's fair, right?"

"Ugh..."

Soon after, Ashiya had given in and was sitting in the library, Urushihara next to him, completely engulfed in a book.

It was strangely relaxing.


	22. Let's Play

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

And this week, children, we learned that Ly is terrible at sticking to her own schedules. I'm sorry, I think I better just throw out the schedule completely and say I'll update once a week _at some point_. Anyway, I've thought of this idea a bit before but I didn't put it down as a headcanon for a while. I got a suggestion from Hanachana that Urushihara could take up a new hobby so I thought I could use this~ But that suggestion is also gonna feed into another headcanon that'll come up when this collection comes to an end, so there's something else to keep you guys interested ;) Tbh I'm not completely happy with this one, but it's almost midnight here and I'm really not up for rewriting this, but I also don't want to wait any longer to upload it so here you go~

Headcanon: Urushihara has a YouTube channel

* * *

Let's Play

The apartment was mostly silent, aside from the occasional click of Urushihara's mouse or his fingers on the keyboard, or the sound of Maou turning a page of his manga. Maou looked up when he noticed the clicks stop to see Urushihara was now leaning forward on the desk, eyes fixed on the screen.

He craned his neck a little to try and see what he was looking at, which turned out to be a video of a man in headphones in front of his own computer. He was clearly speaking, but Urushihara was wearing his headphones as well so Maou had no clue who or what was so interesting. Looking closer, he noticed the smile on Urushihara's face as he watched. Every now and then, he even chuckled a little. He had to admit, it was good to see him enjoying himself, whatever it was.

Maou caught sight of the clock then; he had a shift soon. Standing and placing the manga back on the small bookshelf, he quickly got ready and looked down at Urushihara, who was now watching another video of the same man.

"You're not gonna go sneaking off again while I'm gone, are you?" he asked. Urushihara removed his headphones and looked up at him.

"Huh?"

 _Nah, I guess he's too distracted._

"Nothing, nevermind," Maou turned towards the door, "I'm off to work, see ya in a couple hours."

"Lates..." Urushihara raised a hand in a barely-there wave and went back to his laptop.

Once he was sure Maou was gone, Urushihara closed the video with a grin and turned his webcam onto himself, switching it on as he did. Opening up his newest game, he started recording.

He already had a decent number of subscribers, considering he hadn't been uploading videos for long, although of course Shizuka and Momoko were among them, and a few other friends. But even so, there were people out there who liked him. And it gave him an opportunity to actually _talk_ about the games he played.

After a short while, he decided to try vlogging. He definitely had enough people watching him and a lot of them did seem interested in him more personally. Plus, this could be a good alternate way to communicate with his friends.

And apparently, humans found socially awkward, sarcastic internet-addicted geeks relatable, and therefore funny.

It didn't take much longer for him to make a name for himself and even build up a small fanbase. What really got him some views, though, was the times he managed to get the camera on Maou and Ashiya.

"Mom's home," he said casually one day as Ashiya walked through the door, "Whatcha got?" He turned his head just enough to see Ashiya placing the bag down, still keeping one eye on the camera and screen at the same time.

"Nothing for you..."

"Abusive parenting." Urushihara gave an exaggerated sigh, quickly looking at the camera.

"I'm not you're parent."

"Close enough."

 _Ugh. Nothing interesting here._

He did get good responses from driving Ashiya up the walls sometimes, but evidently, this was one of those times when he just wasn't going to cooperate. He discreetly turned off the webcam while Ashiya's back was turned.

Meh. He might still be able to use that somewhere.


	23. Don't Go

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

I meant to get this done on Thursday but I ended up being really busy, I've only just managed to get the time and motivation... But on the plus side, I've thought of an idea for a Christmas special, so that'll be coming in a few weeks, and I already have a headcanon suggestion that I could use for it! Also, I finally came up with a new headcanon myself but I'm not entirely sure how I can get a plot from it so we'll have to see how that goes.

Anyway, let's get back to today's ficlet. This is kind of, in a way, a follow-up to Sweet Dreams. And it's quite a long one~ The headcanon this time came from FallenSarcasm

Headcanon: Urushihara has abandonment issues

* * *

Don't Go

 _They're not coming…_

The pain was unbearable, far worse than any injury he had ever sustained before.

 _They're not coming…!_

That wretched Hero had already taken off. Back to the battlefront, no doubt.

 _Why aren't they coming…?_

After being impaled by the Hero's Holy Sword, Lucifer crashed to the ground, barely registering the feeling of his wing breaking on impact. His breath was ragged and heavy. Blood pooled at the gaping wound in his chest and trickled from the corner of his mouth. Time seemed to slow down, almost to a halt. He was gripping fiercely onto whatever was still left of his life.

And he was alone.

He was alone.

They had left him. All of them. Not one of his men came to his aid.

 _Th-this… This cannot be happening…_

He was struggling to hold on, losing the fight.

He was dying.

Alone.

His eyelids fluttered and he could have sworn he heard footsteps approaching. A shadow fell across his face and he strained to make out the shape of the hooded figure in front of him before his eyes flickered closed for what he assumed would be the last time.

But they reopened suddenly as Urushihara jerked awake to find himself safe in the darkened apartment. He saw Maou and Ashiya sleeping soundly in their futons. He leaned out of his box a little further until he could see the glowing display of Maou's alarm clock.

4:28am.

He groaned inwardly and rolled onto his side, curling into a ball. It wasn't worth waking them up. Sure, they had listened last time he'd had a nightmare, but bringing up _that time_ could make them feel worse about it. Thinking about it now, he didn't want to drive them any further away than he already had. He didn't want them to hate him anymore than they surely already did. They might leave him again if he got any worse. It was hard for him, yes, but he had to try.

It took some time, but he managed to will himself back to sleep. And it wasn't long before the memories returned.

He had left his home. Sure, he had _wanted_ to leave, but he hadn't realised how alone he would feel afterwards. How isolated. How distant. When King Satan accepted him into his army, he felt happy for the first time in a while, even if he didn't always make that clear. There were, however, demons who wouldn't accept him, who refused to offer any respect or companionship to a former angel. He convinced himself that he didn't care. But somewhere in the back of his mind, a small sliver of insecurity always remained. He hid it behind a nonchalant attitude and a sharp tongue, but even if no-one else knew it was there, he knew. He was still scared they would shun him. He was scared he'd have no place left to go.

When Urushihara awoke again, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, then looked around. Both his roommates were gone already.

 _Well, this is a perfect thing to wake up to after a night like that…_

He yawned and crawled out of the box. On the table in the middle of the room was a note left by Ashiya, telling him he was out shopping and not to do anything stupid.

"… It's something, I guess…" he mumbled to himself and he turned on the laptop.

Before he could get too carried away with web browsing, Urushihara's mind began to wander. He paused, his hands hovering above the keyboard and his eyes glazed over ever-so-slightly. He couldn't help but think – what if they just gave up on him?

Sometimes he just wasn't able to bite back the quick remarks that came into his head. Some days he really didn't have the motivation or the energy to do anything, other days he just refused or ignored the demands made of him out of spite. It was his natural defence tactic. He acted on impulse, then ended up giving them yet another reason to get rid of him.

He sighed and let his hands drop to the desk. He stayed still for a moment, staring at the computer screen. That was the problem; he was too defensive. He chose to keep everything covered up with this little " _I-don't-care_ " charade.

He was acting like a child. And it couldn't possibly make people want to be around him. But he just couldn't help himself.

The door opened and Urushihara turned and looked up, expressionless, at Ashiya. The other man barely paid him any attention. He looked back at the screen and was about to start typing when he sensed a presence behind him and something was dropped onto the desk. He glanced to the side and saw two boxes of Bocky. He blinked in surprised then curiously looked back at Ashiya, who had now turned his back and was starting to put away his other purchases. He answered Urushihara's silent question without even turning his head.

"There was a sale. And we had a little extra money this week. Don't think too much into it."

It was quiet for a few seconds, then he picked up one of the boxes and opened it with a small smile.

"Thanks, Mom."

Another brief moment of silence.

"… You're welcome, son."

Any tension in the air melted away as Urushihara bit a stick in half. Ashiya had actually thought about him. That was a good sign. The silence between them somehow felt more comfortable now.

When Maou returned home later that day, he could sense the calm atmosphere immediately.

"Ah! Welcome home, your Majesty."

Urushihara simply raised a hand in greeting, but still, that was more than he usually did.

Maou took off his shoes and sat down at the table. He took a minute to think before he spoke.

"Hey, Urushihara?"

"Huh?" hearing his name, Urushihara tilted his head back slightly, "Yeah, what?"

"Did you, uh… Did you sleep alright last night?"

"… Why do you ask?"

"It's just, I thought I heard you shuffling around in that box of yours. Plus, you did sleep in real late this morning so I figured you might have woken up in the middle of the night again or something."

"Uh… Well, not really, now that you mention it…"

To his surprise, Maou and Ashiya both looked concerned by that. And for some reason, that made him feel at least a little better.

"But, hey, no worries, dude. I'm good now."

"You sure?"

"Yup."


	24. Slipping Up

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Damn, I am really late...! Sorry, guys, I say this every time but I've been really busy. This is my last week of uni before Christmas so I've been getting ready for my assignments due in the new year (I've got two essays, a film script and an evaluation of the script, plus a group presentation on Thursday...). Anyway, I will still post another ficlet later this week, and the Christmas special will be next week, but I may take a hiatus for the actual week of Christmas cuz I'm going to be away for most of it. Also, just throwing this out there but my birthday happens to be on Christmas Day like just so you know anyway let's get to the story~

I'm using the Entean (the Ente Islan language) alphabet thing from the original version of the anime (as in, the Japanese/sub) even though I watch the dub just cuz I can't find the alphabet for the dub

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

AZYXEWVTISRLPNOMQKJHUGFDCB

Thank you to CinderAshTree once again for this headcanon~!

Headcanon: Urushihara sometimes accidently slips back into speaking Entean

* * *

Slipping Up

Urushihara lay on his back beside his desk, holding a book above his face. This time, it had been checked out from the library with Ashiya's help, not bought online with Maou's credit card as so many of his possessions had been. This book in particular happened to be written in English. Lately, he'd been taking more of an interest in foreign languages. As an angel, he could pick them up pretty much instantly. It was just another natural ability that "came with the territory".

After he had left Heaven, he had taken to speaking Entean from the moment he first heard it. He didn't have much need to use other languages before, but now he had the chance to try.

Even after living in Japan for some time, Entean still came to him more naturally in some situations.

"Urushihara, would you put that book down and help me already?!"

Oh, and Ashiya was home and making demands, as usual.

Urushihara, however, wasn't paying attention.

"Vige pe a popenh..."

Ashiya blinked. He turned to Urushihara with a slightly irritated look. But then, he couldn't say this hadn't happened before.

"You're slipping again."

At this, Urushihara jumped, sitting up and almost losing his place in the book in the process.

"Shut up! What does it matter what language I'm using so long as you can understand me?!"

He was getting defensive. Like a child. That was how he always reacted whenever Ashiya or Maou pointed it out to him.

"We are living as Japanese citizens in this world and as such, we speak Japanese. That is His Majesty's will and as his loyal subjects, we should follow him."

Urushihara only blinked, staring at him almost completely expressionless.

 _What a tool..._

Rolling his eyes, he lay down again and opened the book.

He didn't see why it mattered so much if he slipped up when it was only in front of them. They spoke Entean, they knew what he was saying. Then again, there were a few odd moments when his slipping was nothing short of embarrassing, especially for someone so socially inept as Urushihara.

There was a knock at the door and a voice.

"Delivery here for a Mr Hanzo Urushihara."

 _Ugh..._

He was alone. He may be skipping out on facing the wraths of his roommates for making another online purchase, but he still had to move to get to the door. He stood and trudged over lazily to answer.

"Htanr cou..."

"...?"

There was a brief moment of silence as Urushihara realised what had just happened.

Of course, the delivery guy just brushed it off, assuming Urushihara was some kind of foreigner or something. He wasn't exactly wrong. But the second the door closed, Urushihara sank down.

Maou arrived home only a couple of minutes later to find him in the form of a crumpled mess on the tatami mats. His eyes slowly drifted to the abandoned package that had been dropped only a foot or two away, then back.

"... You bought something with my money?"

Urushihara nodded the best he could from his position face down on the floor.

"And you slipped up again, didn't you?"

"Shut up...!"


	25. Something Different

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Ah, I'm almost late again, but here it is, the next ficlet before the week is over! Next up will be the Christmas special, then a week-long hiatus, ok guys? I might be looking for some more headcanons come January, unless I decide to start bringing this collection to a close. Don't worry, though, I have two ideas for other Urushihara-based fics, one maybe expanding on his friendship with Momoko and Shizuka and another given to me by MichaelisHearts on Wattpad, who also gave me the headcanon for today~

(Also, volume 3 of the light novels is gonna be released in English this Tuesday! Anyone else excited?)

Headcanon: Urushihara sometimes watches families passing by the apartment building and it makes him think about having a proper family himself

* * *

Something Different

It was a warm and quiet afternoon in the summertime and Urushihara had been left alone in the apartment yet again. Right now, he was lazily kneeling by the open window, leaning out with his arms hanging over the sill, simultaneously getting his fill of fresh air and sunlight for the day, and looking for potential sources of magic.

But today seemed to be going well for the humans who passed by. The weather was nice, there was no school and everyone was cheerful and excited. No fear or despair or sadness anywhere.

How disappointing.

Or, well, he _meant_ to find it disappointing but his mind soon wandered. He was distracted by the groups of people who would walk down the street outside every few minutes. The families. Off to spend their free time together doing something fun.

Urushihara sighed and narrowed his eyes, focusing on a young boy, probably only slightly younger than Chiho, walking along with a woman who must have been his mother, and another, smaller boy. His brother, most likely. They all looked happy together. Close. Loving. Once they had disappeared out of sight, Urushihara straightened up and turned around, closing the window and leaning against it, sliding back down onto the floor.

That was what a happy family looked like.

That was something practically alien to him.

That was an experience he longed for.

His memories of his _family_ back in Heaven weren't the best. Not at all, to be completely honest. He tipped his head back against the window and closed his eyes, silent and thinking. He hadn't really belonged there.

Finding a place he could belong had turned out alright in the end. It had taken some time, but he had finally found _his_ Heaven.

But finding _people_ he belonged _with_...

 _Wait._

Slowly, his eyes opened.

" _Thanks, Mom."_

"… _You're welcome, son."_

 _"Urushihara? What's wrong? Did something happen?"_

 _"Have you eaten today, Good Hanzo?"_

Maybe he did have a family.

So much had changed in the time he had lived on Earth. He had changed. Maou and even Ashiya had changed. Even if it was only a little. They had all changed. And where they were once allies on a fierce battlefield, they were now a family.

He'd had his "real" family in Heaven.

But this was something different.


	26. The Day Before Christmas

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Ah, well, my children, here it is, time for the Christmas ficlet! I'm going on holiday over Christmas so, yes, I am taking a week-long hiatus and the next ficlet will probably come in the new year. Btw, I finally got my copy of volume 3 of the light novel but I'm saving it to read while I'm away~ ... I'm turning 20 on Christmas Day... I can't even say I'm a teenager anymore, I'm an actual legit adult, this is it... *sigh* Anyway, this is also a follow-up to Sick Of It. I managed to think up a Christmas-themed plot for a headcanon suggested by Hanachana! And it's a long one, probably the longest chapter of the whole collection. And also, if anyone wants to draw Urushihara with his presents, I'll love you forever :p

Merry Christmas, guys~!

Headcanon: Chiho notices that Urushihara is getting annoyed by all the purple in his life and decides to do something about it

* * *

The Day Before Christmas

As Winter rolled around, Urushihara found he loved having the apartment to himself the most when snow was falling outside and he could get a sense of smug satisfaction out of the fact that he was safe, warm and dry inside while the others were facing the bitter damp and cold.

Today, however, was not one of those days. Far from it.

Today was December 23rd, only two days before the humans would celebrate Christmas. And even though Japan's way of celebrating the holiday wasn't quite as religiously driven as it was in the west, there was still something about it that made Urushihara a little uncomfortable.

That "something" was mostly people.

Specifically, the people sitting around the table in the centre of the room that he had, once again, been banned from joining them at who were talking and laughing (and shouting) and generally getting on his nerves. The girls had joined them for the afternoon and Ashiya, Suzuno and Chiho had all collaborated in cooking a meal for everyone. Everyone except Urushihara, of course. He was used to it by now, but the noise was especially irritating this time. Who knew Satan would be so excited about Christmas? He had even taken the effort to get some lights and a cheap miniature plastic tree.

Soon after the volume started to rise, Urushihara took out his headphones. He kept his eyes glued on the screen and tried to block out the sounds that still managed to reach his ears, but he only grew more annoyed when he caught sight of his reflection, purple eyes staring back at him obstructed by purple hair. He may have sensed someone shift behind him but he didn't care. He was too focused on his game, and trying not to hate his own face. Every now and then he would sneer and brush his hair away but it always fell back in his line of sight eventually.

He had no idea how much time had passed, but sooner or later, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Surprised, Urushihara removed his headphones and turned his head enough to see Chiho crouched behind him, looking at him questioningly. He glanced past her to where Ashiya and Suzuno were cleaning up in the kitchen while Emi and Maou were engaged in another argument.

Furrowing his brow, he looked back at Chiho.

"What?"

"Um... Are you alright? It's just that you looked like you were getting a little frustrated about something."

 _... What?_

"What do you care?"

Chiho's eyes suddenly began to wonder.

"It's not really that I _care_ , I guess I was just curious, and everyone else is kinda busy..."

 _As usual._

"Nothing you need to be concerned about, _Sasaki_." He said lazily and went to put his headphones back in but Chiho spoke up again.

"Is it something wrong with your hair?" she asked, pointing at him, "I noticed you were playing around with it a lot."

"Among other things," Urushihara mumbled. Now he was the one avoiding eye contact.

"Other things besides your hair...?"

 _What is with this girl...?!_

He swung around, looking her in the eye and startling her in doing so.

"... What is it?"

Urushihara huffed. Gritting his teeth, he hissed out the reply to her, not wanting to make this everyone's business. It wasn't important. It was just Urushihara being stupid, like always, right? That's all this was.

"It's my hair, my eyes, my frickin' shirt, my goddamn earrings that I can't bring myself to take out...! I'm just... Ugh..." he turned away again, resting his head in one hand, "I'm so over this..."

He put his headphones in again and went back to his gaming with a quick glare at the high schooler, who only stuttered then shrugged and returned to the table to try and calm the fighting.

What did she know?

It wasn't much longer before the "party" came to a close and the girls finally left. Before following Emi out the door, however, Chiho reminded Maou and Ashiya that she would drop by the next day with their Christmas presents. Meanwhile, Urushihara was watching a video, oblivious to the lingering glance he received from Chiho as she headed outside.

He crawled out of his box tunnel on the morning of Christmas Eve the same as any other day of the year; sluggish, blurry-eyed and hungry. He didn't acknowledge the holiday. He ignored the plastic tree beside his desk the best he could and went about his normal routine. Maou eventually left for work, happy to take the shift even during Christmas, and Ashiya surprisingly had plans with that co-worker of Emi's. Urushihara couldn't help but pull a face at the thought. He sat in his lonely silence, only broken by the sounds from his computer, for a couple of hours eating the leftovers from the party the day before until he heard a knock on the door. Strange, Maou wouldn't be home for at least another hour, and Ashiya could be even longer. Plus, neither of them would knock. He hadn't ordered anything, had he? No, maybe it was Suzuno...? Then a soft voice came from the other side of the door.

"Uh, Mr Urushihara?"

"Chiho?"

Urushihara paused his game and carefully pushed himself up. Sure enough, when he opened the door, there was Chiho holding up two medium-sized gift bags. And... a smaller bag. He blinked.

"What're you doing here now? You know Maou won't be back for a while."

"Oh, I thought I should come by a little early," Chiho explained with a smile. Odd, considering who she was talking to, "Is that alright?"

She took an uncertain step into the room. Urushihara, confused but curious, stood back and let her in.

"I guess."

He turned away and went back to his desk. Chiho knelt down beside the table and placed the two bigger bags down, then turned around to face Urushihara, the other bag still clutched in her hands. Hesitantly, Urushihara turned to her as well.

"I know this holiday must be a little weird for you, especially since you were born an angel," she didn't notice him flinch, "And we don't exactly get along..."

"Ain't that the truth."

"... But, hey, I thought you deserved _something_. You do always pull through when it really matters, and, well," she held up the bag, "'Tis the season, y'know?"

Urushihara stared at the bag for a moment, mouth agape and face turning red. Was she serious?

"Uh, I-I..."

"Go ahead, take it."

There was still a few seconds before he actually took the bag from her and pulled out a package wrapped in bright red paper. Then another few seconds of awkward nothingness.

"Open it."

Urushihara slowly tore the paper apart as Chiho waited with a smile on her face.

There were two items inside. He unfolded the larger one first - a t-shirt, just like the one he was wearing, but the sleeves were black. Instead of purple. His eyes shifted between it and Chiho a few times.

"... You..."

He put the shirt down and picked up the smaller item. A grey beanie. He put it on, then looked back at her with wide eyes.

"It covers my earrings..."

"Mm-hmm," she nodded, "So you can't see them, but you don't have to take them out!"

Urushihara hadn't realised he was smiling until he noticed Chiho's grin grow wider.

"I don't really understand exactly why you don't like your eyes or your earrings or whatever, but I figured if I could do something to help, maybe you'd stop being such a big grump all the time."

Urushihara frowned and looked away, but blushed all the same.

"Shut up," he muttered, "That's none of your business... But... thanks, Chiho."

Satisfied with that, Chiho stood up.

"Ok. I'm gonna start cooking now so Mr Maou can have the perfect lunch when he gets home!"

Urushihara only grunted in response, back to his usual self now. But when Chiho looked back over her shoulder, he was carefully folding the t-shirt up again and sliding it into the back of his box. And he was still wearing the beanie.

And he was smiling.


	27. Living in the Moment

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

I'M BACK! Ah, it's been longer than I expected, sorry about that... After I got home from my holiday I had uni work to finish and it took more time than I thought to do. But it's all done and handed in now and I don't go back to classes until the 25th~ And something I'm looking forward to - on Friday, it'll be a full year since I first watched the Devil is a Part Timer anime! I've had a lot of obsessions on shows and books and movies in my life but I've never stayed _obsessed_ with the same thing for a whole year. So Friday is Devil Day, I'll be rewatching the anime start-to-finish and I'm gonna start reading the high school spin-off manga too \^^/

Anyway, I finally came up with a new headcanon myself just before I did the Christmas special so this one's from me~ I think I have one more requested headcanon then the last two chapters are my own that I've had stashed away waiting to end this collection on. While I'm writing these next few ficlets, I'll hopefully get to planning the two other Urushihara fics I want to do. I'll keep you updated (Also, btw, this chapter hints at that headcanon I've seen around that Olba abused Lucifer in the time they were working together. It's a brief mention, but it's there)

Headcanon: Urushihara has been alive for so long now that he has absolutely no concept of time

* * *

Living in the Moment

Things were different back then.

Heaven was supposed to be a paradise, wasn't it? So why was he getting so bored of it all? With his high position, Lucifer knew the other angels had expectations of him, assumptions about him. But his whole life had run on the same routine, and it was starting to take its toll on him. He could carry out tasks in perfect time and he had every organised instant committed to memory by now. It was easy. But easy wasn't interesting. To be completely honest, Heaven itself wasn't all that interesting either. And the other angels certainly weren't interesting. Eventually, it became too much. He didn't want to stay there any longer. That wasn't his home anymore.

He'd wasted too much time in that place.

Years passed. He didn't bother to count how many. He had fallen. He had joined the demons. He had turned his back on his old home. He let the memories blur together, one instance barely recognisable from another. Who cared where he had been or what had done when it was all in the past? Centuries, all one big mess in his mind. Nothing more. The Archangel was replaced by the Demon General and his old self was virtually forgotten.

There, but not.

He moved in whatever direction his new life took him, moments melding into one. One long moment lasting forever, never ending, the distance between anything significant soon lost all meaning.

The war against the humans waged on, how long did it last? Years? Decades? Centuries? General Lucifer paid no mind. He had work to do. He wasn't concerned with such details, he chose to simply enjoy the death and destruction around him. Caused by him. He was living in the moment.

That's all he did for quite some time. Live in the moment. He was often late to meetings and such. Sometimes he never showed up at all. Then, something happened that he had never expected in all his millennia of existence.

That long, everlasting moment did, in fact, have an end. But even as it ended, Lucifer could not feel the time pass. For how long did he lay bleeding? For how long did he balance between life and death? When did his breath return to him?

When, when... What did "when" even mean? He didn't know anymore.

He didn't know how much time had passed before Olba came to him. He didn't know how long he suffered under the "care" of the priest. And he didn't care to remember. This new life blended into the old one and the moment continued on as if it had never stopped.

Lucifer was soon pulled through a Gate into another world with Olba (how soon he never bothered to ask). One where the king had supposedly fled to and was now living peacefully in with General Alciel. The offer to return to Heaven seemed oddly compelling. His memories of his old home were distant and indistinct, like everything else, but maybe enough time had passed to change things. He wasn't sure, but just maybe. In this new world, on Earth, he tried to focus on the task at hand but he was tempted by the strange things he saw there. He found himself staying there, living as a young human by the name of Hanzo Urushihara. King Satan - Maou - told him that he had listed him as being 18 years old on the official documents he apparently needed to become a citizen of Japan.

How old was he really? He was definitely older than Maou. Much older.

Regardless, his life as Urushihara seemed like it could work out so much better than what he had lived before. He had to stay inside for his own safety, so he didn't need to concern himself with the trivialities of time. That didn't matter when he had nowhere to be. All it meant was sometimes he would go for hours on end just scrolling through some website without realising. Sometimes he wouldn't realise that Maou would be home from work any minute. Sometimes he'd be surprised by how quickly Ashiya seemed to return from shopping. Sometimes he would look up and find them both asleep and the moon peaking between the curtains.

It didn't matter to Urushihara, though. He was just living in the moment.


	28. Long Term Goals

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Time for another little ficlet! We're getting near the end now, guys, I'm going up until the end of January. But there are two other Urushihara fics (hopefully) coming, don't you worry ;) Anyway, I did mean to post this one last night, so sorry it's a bit late. I actually struggled to narrow down which headcanon to use. I couldn't really come up with anything for the one I was planning on doing :/ But this one can lead into the final two really well~ Also, guess who's back unexpectedly? Momo and Shizuka~ \^^/ I've been fleshing them both out a little, but there's still a few things to get down... Anyway, let's get to it~ This headcanon came (a little while ago) from Hanachana

Headcanon: Urushihara decides to take up another hobby to fill up his time

* * *

Long Term Goals

"Y'know I'm still just a beginner with this, right?"

"So? You're gonna need ideas for the future, I'm just helping out."

Urushihara let out a sigh and his eyebrow twitched in irritation, but he was smiling.

"Just block her out, Hanzo, that's what I do when she gets like this." Shizuka's calm voice came through the speakers, eliciting an annoyed huff from Momoko and a soft chuckle from Urushihara.

The three friends hadn't seen each other in person for some time, not since their first meeting. Shizuka lived about an hour away in the Kanagawa Prefecture and even if the journey itself wasn't too complicated, he rarely had the time to make the trip what with his classes. Momoko didn't live so far away, she was in Tokyo too, but she was also constantly busy. Then again, Urushihara didn't mind that so much. He wasn't great with socialising face-to-face. The occasional meet-up might be fun, sure, but these SkyPhone conversations were plenty for him.

And anyway, he liked having time to himself to do his own thing. His laptop, his games, his books. He had a lot to occupy his time. And what could be better than finding a way to combine them all?

Which was exactly the topic of their current conversation.

Lately, Urushihara had been taking an interest in designing his own games. He was still in the early stages and had a long way to go but it wasn't much more than a casual hobby. He was learning the ropes slowly and seeing what he could do. For now, at least.

Momoko didn't seem able to grasp that concept, though.

Once he had something playable ready, she had tried it out, but her feedback wasn't exactly helpful. She made suggestions that he just wasn't capable of at this point, and she generally did not understand the process at all. They ended up bringing Shizuka in to keep the discussion peaceful. It was honestly amazing how well he could handle Momoko's boundless energy and imagination and Urushihara's sarcasm and anger issues, especially when they were pitted against each other like this.

Well, maybe "handling it" wasn't quite right. More like "putting up with it and prolonging the inevitable".

"I'm thinking... horror..."

 _Let me figure out the basics first, will ya?_

Urushihara rolled his eyes and shook his head, but his smile remained. He had to admit, it was kind of endearing. Annoying, but endearing.

"You're a tough girl to please, you know that?" he said with another sigh.

"I demand perfection."

"Well, you ain't getting that from me."

He _was_ being sarcastic, but they could both hear the self-deprecating tone that told them some small part of him believed it. Momoko felt a wave of guilt and paused, letting Shizuka take the reins.

"C'mon, it just takes time. You'll get there."

"True…"

Momoko soon found her voice again.

"What you've got so far is great, though!"

"Thanks, Momo," Urushihara mumbled, "But it'll be a while before I can do anything as complicated as what you're thinking about. So, like, maybe don't keep making demands like that?"

"Sorry..."

There was a smile in her voice, but he knew she meant it.

"It's cool. And Shizuka?"

"Hm?"

"You're right. I gotta just keep working on it. I'll get there someday."


	29. Heaven is a Place on Earth

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Hello, my lovelies~! Even closer to the end now. I'm glad you guys enjoy these ficlets and I hope you'll all stick around to read my next Urushihara fics. Another (probably shorter) one-shot collection and an actual multichapter fic. But right now, here's a chapter I've had planned pretty much since the very beginning. And it's turned out to be, like, the third longest in the whole collection or something. I'm really proud of this one. Here we go~

Headcanon: Urushihara actually intends to stay on Earth, even when all the others have gone back to Ente Isla

* * *

Heaven is a Place on Earth

Never had a conversation been less relevant to him.

Maou and Ashiya were sat facing each other at the table while Urushihara sat at his laptop. His roommates spoke seriously, a sense of urgency and occasionally concern in their tones. They may not have believed it, but Urushihara wasn't ignoring them. And he wasn't blocking them out with headphones either. He _was_ listening. But it really was not relevant.

They were talking about...

"... When we go back."

... Ente Isla.

Even if it wasn't happening any time soon, they would eventually return to their world. Maou still wanted to take over. He had learned a lot on Earth and he did love it here, but Ente Isla was his home, and he had dreams and plans.

"Urushihara!"

He turned his head just enough to see Ashiya's frowning face. His own face remained unfazed and he blinked slowly. That was all the response he could be bothered to give right now.

"You really should join this discussion, you know. I hate to admit it, but you are a part of our army and as such you need to be involved. If we are ever going to return to Ente Isla-"

"But I'm not going back to Ente Isla," raising an eyebrow, Urushihara turned to face them both, leaning his elbow on his desk and resting his chin in his hand, "Didn't I tell you guys that...?"

They looked surprised. Had he really forgotten to mention that?

"This is the first I've heard of it." Maou said, slightly confused.

 _Huh. Guess I did forget._

"Explain yourself then, Urushihara," Ashiya, on the other hand, sounded irritated as usual, "Why won't you return home with us?"

"'Cause I like this world a whole lot better," he said with a shrug as if it were obvious. But then he turned sombre, looking down, "I didn't want to stay in Ente Isla once the demons thought I was dead. The reason I came to this world in the first place was because Olba said he could get me back to Heaven, but who am I kidding? That was because I thought it was my only choice. If I'm honest, Heaven ain't all it's cracked up to be. In the end, there's nothing for me through the Gate, in Ente Isla or in Heaven. This world's just better."

He lifted his head again, looking strangely wistful for a brief moment before his typically lazy expression returned.

Ashiya didn't catch that look, though. He didn't see anything deeper than thoughtless selfishness.

"That's all fine and well, but what are you going to do when we are gone and you're left here alone?"

Inside, Urushihara flinched. That _was_ still an issue. But he stood his ground.

"You're not leaving yet. It's gonna take some time. I'll be able to handle myself by then."

"With what money?!" Ashiya raised his voice, "It would be near impossible for you to get a job. Not only do you have no useful skills to speak of, but you are a _wanted criminal_ ," he leaned in closer, a challenging gleam in his eye, "Or have you forgotten that?"

Urushihara managed to stay calm and collected and opened his mouth to speak, but Ashiya interrupted before he could.

"And remember, Bell will not stay here to be your personal cook, and I highly doubt Miss Sasaki would offer even a sliver of kindness to you in such a situation."

Maou was still quietly observing them. There was a few seconds of quiet as Urushihara rolled his eyes and shifted his position, now sitting at the table between them.

"Way to bring the mood down, _Mom_ ," he sighed, making Ashiya's eyebrow twitch in frustration, "Believe it or not, I have been paying attention to Suzuno's lessons, so I can take care of myself. As for money, I've got something figured out. Don't worry, it's legal," he deadpanned when Ashiya narrowed his eyes, "It'll take a little longer for me to really get the hang of it but like I said, you won't be going anywhere any time soon."

"What exactly is it you've got planned?" Maou finally spoke up.

"... I've been learning about game design..."

He was smiling, a little shyly. Maou's eyes widened ever so slightly at a genuine sign of happiness from Urushihara. Maybe this _could_ work out. But wait...

"Hmph. And what about the issue of your criminal record?" Ashiya got to his point before him. This time, Urushihara smirked.

"What criminal record? _Hanzo Urushihara_ is not guilty of any crimes. Sooner or later, people are gonna forget what the monster that wrecked the neighbourhood looked like. It's the wings and the magic they'll remember. Not the face."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Maybe I can't be sure. But I'll handle it."

He looked up at them, only to see two sceptical, even worried faces.

" _I'll handle it_ ," he insisted, "Can you just trust me for once?"

Ashiya seemed to be wavering a little; he was looking down as if he were considering it.

Maou was looking down too, but he didn't seem like he was going to accept this. He gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow.

"Maou...?" Urushihara's voice was suddenly small and quiet.

"Look, Urushihara," Maou sighed, scratching his neck and still avoiding meeting his gaze, "It isn't that I don't trust you, that's not the problem here."

"Then what is?"

Both Urushihara and Ashiya watched their king curiously. They rarely saw him this nervous. It took a moment for him to answer.

"It's like... It feels like I'd be abandoning you again. I made that mistake once before and I'm not about to do it again. A good king... A good _friend_ should be looking out for you."

Not one of them could look another in the eye. Not one of them knew what to say. Not until Urushihara's somehow... forgiving voice broke the silence.

"You've been looking out for me here, Maou. Even when you guys leave, I'll be ok. This isn't a battlefield, this is Tokyo. There's no magic, there's no heroes or assassins. Or at least, there won't be then. Seriously, _I can handle it_. If you're really that worried, you can always come back to check on me, right?"

It was like he was reassuring a young child. And all things considered, he sort of was.

Maou nodded and offered him a smile, which Urushihara returned before turning back towards his laptop.

"There is one problem you haven't considered, though, Urushihara." There was a strangely playful tone to Ashiya's voice.

Urushihara tilted his head, looking at him cautiously.

"Yeah? And what would that be?"

"You'll most likely still be an awkward mess when that time comes."

" _Shut up!_ " Urushihara jumped up, his face red, "I have friends to help me out, y'know!"

Maou erupted with laughter and Ashiya followed. Urushihara's blush only deepened as he stamped his feet.

"You guys can't take me seriously for more than five minutes!"

"S-sorry, man, but he's got a point."

Leaving them to stifle their giggles, Urushihara unplugged his laptop and crawled into his box with it, grumbling to himself all the while.

 _Just a little longer. I'll be free of them someday._


	30. Thought You'd Seen the Last of Me

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any characters involved. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation.

Hello, my lovelies~! Well, here we are at the end of this fic collection. Just like the last chapter, I've had this one planned from the very start, although I did end up adding a few things from other chapters ;p I've really enjoyed writing these one-shots and ficlets and I'm so proud of them. And I'd still love to hear what you think of them, and I would still love to keep reading about your headcanons, even if I won't be writing stories for them. The next Urushihara fics will be coming. Not sure when, but they're coming! Anyway, onto this final ficlet. It's another two-headcanons-in-one, with a bunch of the headcanons that I've already written for coming into play to create a nice little ending. I'm pretty sure this is definitely the longest ficlet in the collection. Enjoy~!

Headcanon: 1. Urushihara actually matures a lot once he's lived on his own on Earth for a while and 2. Urushihara annoys Chiho after the others have gone back to Ente Isla because he's the only one of them who's still there

* * *

Bet You Thought You'd Seen the Last of Me

"And, done…!" he said with a relieved sigh, his eyes shifting to the clock in the corner of the screen, "Whoa, is it that late already?"

Urushihara had spent almost the whole day working. It was strange - him, working an honest job, but that's how it had turned out. He'd managed to form a strong fan following with a few little online games. Of course, it wasn't difficult to get that attention when most of them were already watching his videos. Sometimes he even took on a few small web design commissions. And however he got the money, room 201 in Villa Rosa was _his_ now.

Ok, so technically it was still the landlady's, but Urushihara paid the rent, and that, he had to admit, was a big step up to how it used to be.

Glancing up at the small gap between the curtains, Urushihara saw the moon faintly shining behind a cloud in the dark sky. Yup, it definitely _was_ that late. He went about the usual process of saving his work and closing the laptop before finally standing and pulling out his futon from the closet. Once upon a time, it had been Maou's futon (or was this one Ashiya's? He never did remember which was which) but that had changed a couple of years ago. Maou had also left Urushihara with his phone and a lot of manga, which now sat alongside his growing collection of books and games. The apartment was pretty much the same; he even kept his old box tunnel in the corner. It did get kind of lonely at times but he was learning to cope. He was happier in this world than he had been anywhere else, and if being alone most nights was the price he had to pay for that happiness, then so be it.

Maou did take him up on his suggestion to come back and visit whenever he felt like checking up on his former general, and Ashiya normally followed close behind. Even Suzuno had returned to Earth on occasion. Not quite as often as his fellow demons, but she had appeared to keep him company for a short time once or twice. It was nice to know she still worried about him, especially considering they were enemies when they first met. And she still nagged at him like an older sister (even if she was a few thousand years younger). And he still whined and complained when she did. But that was how they worked.

And the rest of the time, when his old friends from back home couldn't be around, he always had his friends here. He could meet with Momoko easily, since she didn't live too far away, and it wasn't unusual for her to show up out of the blue at his door, since he was never the type to arrange the hang outs, and she was never the type to be predictable. But it was always a nice surprise. And since he had an extra futon, Shizuka would typically stay a night or two when he came to Tokyo. It had been a little bit embarrassing when Urushihara suddenly awoke with a cry one night, rousing Shizuka awake as well. Or, it was at first. It was hard for him to open up about his nightmares to his friend but once he did, Shizuka was ready to accept it all.

He lay for a few minutes, just thinking about how his life had changed. How he had finally arrived at the point where he was happy with where he was, and with who he was. Where he could cope on his own, but he didn't always have to _be_ on his own. He fell asleep with a peaceful and serene expression on his face.

When the sun streamed into the apartment through the curtains the next morning, Urushihara only buried his face into his pillow. He had finished his latest commission yesterday with another day to spare before the deadline, so he didn't really have anything to do. Checking online, he saw that Momoko was busy, so no surprise visits today. If Maou or Suzuno were planning on visiting, he would normally receive an Idea Link transmission from them first, but there was nothing. He'd stocked up on food recently enough. No need for shopping right now.

He soon grew bored of sitting around with his games and books. Maybe… just a walk would be good. He did still try to keep his venturing into the outside world to a minimum, but the old problem of his criminal record didn't seem so big nowadays. He was a pretty unassuming guy, after all. With that thought, Urushihara threw on the grey hoodie he had bought himself not long after the others left and pulled his old grey beanie over his head. He grabbed the key from its place on the table and left.

It was a bright, clear day and Urushihara wandered around aimlessly, his hands in his pockets. Feeling a strange sense of familiarity, he slowed to a halt and looked at the building opposite him. It took him a moment to remember it. It had been quite some time since he'd been there. And most of his memories of the place weren't so sweet to think about.

Sasahata North High School.

He blocked out the images of Olba, choosing to only think of when he discovered his PASTA in that bag, and when he had sent Maou and the others on a wild good chase, just to get that game console back. And hadn't this been Chiho's school?

 _She must've graduated by now, huh…?_ he thought as he started walking again.

Eventually, the nostalgia sparked by seeing the high school led him to the shopping district near the Hatagaya train station. He walked down the street, not really going anywhere in particular, until he saw someone he recognised out the corner of his eye. Chiho was leaving MgRonald's, clearly having just finished her shift, and hadn't seen him.

Moving quickly, he snuck up behind her and followed her for a minute or so before tapping her shoulder, making her turn her head.

"'Sup?"

Chiho jumped with a squeak, pouting when Urushihara snorted at her surprised response. She glared at him.

"You're not gonna apologise?!"

"Apologise for what?" he asked, still smirking.

"For _scaring_ me!"

"Oh, please," Urushihara rolled his eyes, "You're not _that_ scared, I'm barely getting anything from you right now. Nothing worth an apology."

Chiho huffed once than turned and kept walking, Urushihara following her.

"So you really did stay. I didn't think you'd do it," she didn't look at him as she spoke, "Oh! Unless you found someone to cook and clean for you…?"

Urushihara frowned, "I can take care of myself, y'know, Sasaki. I'm not a kid."

"Sure you're not."

"Hey!"

It was quiet for a few seconds, then-

"So, has Mr Maou been back?"

Urushihara caught up to her and turned so he walking backwards, looking off to one side.

"Not since the last time you saw him."

Chiho only sighed.

"Why do you have to do this?"

"Do what?" he turned his head to look at her.

"Why do you have to be the only one to stay? Why couldn't Mr Maou or any of the others stay?"

Urushihara huffed out an impatient sigh.

"They've all got lives in Ente Isla, Sasaki."

"And you don't?"

"… No."

Now he was glaring at her. Another empty silence.

"Um..." Chiho started, "So, how are you handling living alone, then? What do you do for money?"

Urushihara was honestly surprised by the question. It was no secret the two still weren't exactly friends and Chiho had rarely shown him any patience or consideration, or any interest in his life at all.

"Well, I've been working on some games and building websites and stuff," he said, giving her a confused look, "That kinda thing."

Chiho's eyes widened ever-so-slightly.

"Really? That's pretty impressive. I don't think I could do anything like that."

"… It's not all that hard once you get the hang of it."

"Huh. I guess it's just about what you're interested in…"

Then she blinked and looked at him like she had just realised something.

"Hey, is that the hat I got you for Christmas a few years ago?"

"Yeah… I like it…" Urushihara muttered a little self-consciously and looked away.

Chiho smiled.

"I'm glad."

It wasn't much longer until they went their separate ways, Chiho feeling oddly lonely when Urushihara left. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she had thought. Of course, he was still _bad_. Just not _as bad_ as that. Meanwhile, Urushihara returned to Villa Rosa and opened his laptop with not a care in the world. Finding both Momoko and Shizuka online, he smiled to himself. He was happy right where he was, in his own little Heaven.


End file.
